KATHMANDU – Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Damodar Bhandari, has warned subordinate bodies about the potentiality of artificial price hikes and shortages and supplies of goods on a black market on the eve of the festival taking advantage of post-disaster adversities.
He wanted them to strengthen monitoring against such potentialities and promote the rights of consumers. The Minister today summoned the Director General of the Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumers Protection, Rajan Paudel, to his office and directed him for nationwide market monitoring to prevent cheating on customers likely in the wake of disasters and on the eve of the festivals. He pledged all possible support to the Department from the Ministry towards that end.
Similarly, the Minister also directed the Chief Executive Officer of Food Management and Trade Company Limited, Ramesh Acharya, and the Chief Executive Officer of Salt Trading Corporation Limited, Urmila Shrestha, to systematize fair-price shops opened targeting the festivals and ensure consumer’s increased access to such outlets, according to Minister’s Secretariat Anand Bhatta.
He also instructed Nepal Oil Corporation’s Managing Director Dr Chandika Prasad Bhatta, to increase the stock of cooking gas for the festivals.
The Ministry’s Secretariat has also objected to’propaganda’ that it agreed with the Hotel Association of Nepal to bypass the monitoring of the hotel business. Instead, there are reports that some hotels are charging more than the maximum retail prices and the Minister has already instructed for strict monitoring,” the Secretariat said.
In the meantime, the Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection said it regularises the market monitoring as per the existing laws and is making all possible measures to supply quality goods at reasonable price rates. Department Director and Information Officer Dik Bahadur Karki said the monitoring has been intensified in view of the upcoming festivals.
